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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Cynical Jessica's Law attack ignores unconstitutionality, reality

For the second election cycle in a row, House District 47 Rep. Valinda Bolton from Austin is facing TV ads from her opponent Paul Workman attacking her for voting against "Jessica's Law" - I saw the ad for the first time last night, insinuating something to the effect that she sided with criminals instead of her conservative district. Of course, between the last time someone ran that attack and now, the US friggin' Supreme Court declared the death-penalty provision in the law unconstitutional, so you could also say Bolton sided with the Constitution and victim's families against demagogues with her vote. At a recent event, reports the Oak Hill Gazette, the incumbent bristled at the criticisms, declaring:

she voted against Jessica's law because it would not protect children, and in fact could cause a child predator to kill his victim. Bolton said she had more than 20 years of experience working with victimized children "whose stories would curl your hair and break your heart." She said that when a relative is involved, she has seen abused children change their stories because of the death sentence mandated by Jessica’s law.

Voter pools don't change much, or at least quickly, so usually challengers don't focus expensive TV ads on attacks which incumbents successfully endured in recent years. Perhaps the issue polls well, or at least better than anything else they've got, but in 2008 a much better-known opponent ran the same attack against Bolton and lost. I see little reason to think this will move the needle two years further from the event. I don't know what's running in other media markets. Perhaps it's just a stock attack ad and Workman, who is receiving substantial financial support from local real-estate and construction interests, hopes to benefit from the coattails of the reported national anti-incumbent sentiment? In that case, it's just cynical.

In any event, are any readers aware of other crime-and-punishment related attack ads out there in other Texas media markets?

7 comments:

You might also mention that rabid tuff-on-crime Williamson DA John Bradley testified against that misguided bill, as did other among the state's leading prosecutors. But that doesn't matter because the bill was crafted as a cynical grandstanding vehicle from the beginning.

I hope Ms. Bolton wins against this opponent who knows nothing of what is going on in this state with the boogey-man sex offenders. Yah, the guy who chatted online with a teenager and never met her, the guy who slept with his girlfriend who married her later on, the consensual teen cases. The TEN YEAR OLDS to FOURTEEN year olds ON THE REGISTRY...umm, Texas Justice eh? The registry harms so many and does not protect anyone - show me evidence that knowing where a "sex offender" lives saves lives or reduces recidivism rates. I can find plenty of actual evidence to the contrary though! Unbelievable that voting for the Constitutional rights of EVERYONE causes a person who has no idea of what the Constitution says, causes (or tries to) harm to someone who votes FOR children's safety!

I am sick of politicians using the sex offender issue for nothing more than political gain, especially when the truth that they are representing is nothing more than A LIE. If I lived in Ms Bolton's district I would certainly vote for her. As for her opponent, LEARN THE FACTS BEFORE YOU SPOUT YOU IGNORANCE.

Hard to believe "real estate interests" would knowingly support a candidate who pushed for more low-risk offenders on the registry, which has queered more home sales for more realtors than cracks in foundations. This travesty has been perpetrated on the citizenry long enough. Let's make the registry real by putting violent/repeat offenders on it.

Anonymous said, trying leaving 20+ years in pure hell simply due to a spiteful ex-wife who pointed blame to ex-husband rather than her current husband who committed the crime, Valinda Bolton knows that the laws are damaging families especially those who are wrongfully accused. Bolton's opponent has no clue about what she is talking about, let alone what she plans to vote for. Vote for Valinda Bolton. Our leaders have to correct the mess they have created! The current laws didn't keep him under watch he is free to hurt other children, and the system is suppose to work. Pure FAILURE!

State rep # 47 candidate Paul Workman has been running some sleazy ads on Jessica's Law, calling for the DEATH PENALTY for repeat child molesters. This is a perfect example of a statist Republican who has nothing to say on small government issues. Toll roader Paul Workman, a man who FUNDS KIRK WATSON, and supports special subsidies for the Domain and Formula One racing puts this kind of garbage on TV because he has nothing to say about small government issues. Paul Workman is a corporate cronyist who is all FOR Big Government, just as long as he and his buddies get their bread buttered. Paul Workman is also for APPOINT JUDGES -taking away your right to Elect Judges!!

So what happens when you give the DEATH PENALTY for repeat child molesters? 1) Victims and mothers quit reporting the crime to authorities because they don't want dad, brother, uncle EXECUTED by the state. Therefore the child sexual abuse continues because family members will NOT REPORT THE CRIME. Imagine the guilt a young girl or boy would carry when dad gets EXECUTED ...what a burden to carry the rest of one's life.

The other thing that happens is stranger child molesters now have an inititive to MURDER THE VICTIM thanks to this idiotic law. From their point of view the perverts think they might as well kill the kid because they will get the death penalty whether or not the child survives! In fact they are MORE LIKELY to kill the child sexual abuse victim in order to destroy damaging witnesses to their perversion. Thanks to idiotic laws that corporate cronyist Paul Workma advocates, child molesters now every every inititive in the world to MURDER THEIR VICTIMS.

I urge you to vote for and support Libertarian Kris Bailey for state rep #47.

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